• Telegraf interviews academicians Abrams Kleckins and Sergejs Kruks on the results of the Saeima elections
• Political scientist Nils Muiznieks: one of the main tasks of the new government is development of integration plan for immigrants

Telegraf features an interview with academicians Abrams Kleckins and Sergejs Kruks on the results of the Saeima elections. Both academicians argue that Russian speaking voters have predominantly voted for centrist or right-wing parties because they are tired of nationalistic ideas and chose stability and social guarantees instead.

Political scientist Nils Muiznieks in an interview with

Political scientist Nils Muiznieks in an interview with Diena stated that one of the main tasks of the new government is development of integration plan for immigrants who might arrive to Latvia in the nearest feature. Nils Muiznieks also noted that the developed integration program for Roma should be granted the necessary funding and implemented.

• Regional Court has justified the activist of the Headquarters Aleksandrs Gilmans
• About 50 non-citizens of Latvia have submitted to the OSCE individual protest letters on unfair deprivation of their rights to participate in the elections

Yesterday, the Riga Regional Court ruled that activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-Language Schools Aleksandrs Gilmans is not guilty in charges to forcible overturn. As reported, Aleksandrs Gilmans was charged for anti-governmental statements made on the internet forum of the Headquarters’ homepage. The experts concluded that the Gilmans’ statements are clearly hostile, however, do not contain an open call to forcible overturn of the Latvian state regime. The prosecutor is planning to appeal the ruling.

Yesterday, the Riga Regional Court ruled that activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-Language Schools Aleksandrs Gilmans is not guilty in charges to forcible overturn. As reported, Aleksandrs Gilmans was charged for anti-governmental statements made on the internet forum of the Headquarters homepage. The experts concluded that the Gilmans statements are clearly hostile, however, do not contain an open call to forcible overturn of the Latvian state regime. The prosecutor is planning to appeal the ruling. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Diena

Chas reports that about 50 Latvian non-citizens have submitted individual protest letters to the Organization for Security and Co­operation in Europe (OSCE) regarding unfair deprivation of their rights to participate in the elections and against discrimination based on ethnic origin and language proficiency.

• MEP Tatyana Zdanoka proposes to grant Latvian and Estonian non-citizens rights to travel within the EU without visas
• Latvijas Avize and Chas report on the court proceeding against Aleksandrs Gilmans held yesterday
• Latvijas Avize prints an interview with lawyer Didzis Smitins who defends Aivars Garda, Liga Muzikante and Ilze Liepa

Yesterday, member of the European Parliament from Latvia Tatyana Zdanoka and the Head of the Section on Visas and Borders of the EC  Directorate’s for Justice, Freedom and Security discussed draft amendments to the regalement of the EU visa regime proposed by Tatyana Zdanoka. According to the draft amendments non-citizens of Latvia and Estonia would not need visas to travel within the EU.

Yesterday, member of the European Parliament from Latvia Tatyana Zdanoka and the Head of the Section on Visas and Borders of the EC Directorates for Justice, Freedom and Security discussed draft amendments to the regalement of the EU visa regime proposed by Tatyana Zdanoka. According to the draft amendments non-citizens of Latvia and Estonia would not need visas to travel within the EU. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize and Chas report on the revision of the Aleksandrs Gilmans case held yesterday. As reported, the activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools Aleksandrs Gilmans is charged for anti-governmental statements made on the internet forum of the Headquarters homepage. Experts of the State Language Centre have concluded that the Gilmans statements are clearly hostile, however, do not contain an open call to forcible overturn of the Latvian state authority. The court will announce its ruling tomorrow.

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with lawyer Didzis Smitins who defends leader of the extreme right-wing organisation Latvian National Front Aivars Garda and its members Liga Muzikante and Ilze Liepa who also publish the national radical newspaper DDD. As reported, the persons face charges for instigation of ethnic hatred in several articles published in DDD in 2004 and 2005. Didzis Smitins believes that articles do not contain any instigation of ethnic hatred and simply voices persons views

• OSCE/ODIHR elections observation mission on Saeimas elections
• NRA prints an article on citizenship deprivation cases

In the joint conclusion of the Limited Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Limited Short Term Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly it was noted that the Central Election Commission did not produce information for voters in languages other than Latvian. This was the subject of a previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendation given that Russian remains the first language of a substantial portion of Latvia’s voting population. The conclusion also notes to the presence of a significant number of “non-citizens” who do not have voting rights, as well as remaining restrictions on candidacy rights, however, the election day process itself was conducted efficiently.

In the joint conclusion of the Limited Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Limited Short Term Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly it was noted that the Central Election Commission did not produce information for voters in languages other than Latvian. This was the subject of a previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendation given that Russian remains the first language of a substantial portion of Latvias voting population. The conclusion also notes to the presence of a significant number of non-citizens who do not have voting rights, as well as remaining restrictions on candidacy rights, however, the election day process itself was conducted efficiently. Chas

NRA reports on a case when a woman was granted Latvian citizenship in the beginning of the 90s illegally, however till today she has not been deprived it. A columnist of the newspaper compares this case with the case of ex-deputy of the Riga City Council Jurijs Zuravlovs (political party Motherland) whose citizenship was deprived soon after suspicions that he has presented untruthful information about him self before was granted citizenship.

• Provisional results of the Saeima elections held on Saturday
• Experts: FHRUL did not succeed because of its aggressive ethnic policy
• National Bolsheviks protest against deprivation of voting rights of Latvian non-citizens

According to the provisional results of the Saeima elections the People’s Party got 19.49% votes, Union of Greens and Framers – 16.69%, New Era – 16.38%, Concord Centre – 14.42%, Latvian First Party/ Latvia’s Way – 8.59%, For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM – 6.95%, and For Human Rights in United Latvia – 6.02%. Remaining parties did not collect the required 5 percent votes.

According to the provisional results of the Saeima elections the Peoples Party got 19.49% votes, Union of Greens and Framers – 16.69%, New Era – 16.38%, Concord Centre – 14.42%, Latvian First Party/ Latvias Way – 8.59%, For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM – 6.95%, and For Human Rights in United Latvia – 6.02%. Remaining parties did not collect the required 5 percent votes. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, Diena, NRA, Rigas Balss

A number of political experts in an interview with

A number of political experts in an interview with Diena stated that the party For Human Rights in United Latvia, one of the so-called pro-Russian parties, failed to receive bigger support of voters due its aggressive ethnic policy. The leader of the party The Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics, another pro-Russian party which collected almost 15 %, in an interview with Vesti Segodnya stated that the party succeeded because the partys program focused on integration and consolidation of society.

On Saturday – the day of parliamentarian elections, six national Bolsheviks captured one of the polling stations in Riga as a protest action against deprivation of voting rights of Latvian non-citizens.  After several minutes all Bolsheviks were detained.

On Saturday – the day of parliamentarian elections, six national Bolsheviks captured one of the polling stations in Riga as a protest action against deprivation of voting rights of Latvian non-citizens. After several minutes all Bolsheviks were detained. Chas